Connecting means for superheater elements.



N. T. McKEE. I CONNECTING MEANS FOR SUPERHEATER ELEMENTS.

APPLICATIQN FILED MAR. 6,!9l6.

1,300,750. Patented Apr, 15, 1919 WITNESSES I mm/r00 O M74 TIP/MELE MS/IEf CONNECTING MEANS FOR SUPE a ,vao.

Y '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NEAL TRIMBLE MGKEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Yonkers, county of Westchester, and State of New York, have invented'certain new and V useful Improvements in Connecting Means larly my invention relates to such connecting means when applied to superheater ele-o ments of the flue tube type.

My invention will be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 represents a'central section through a pair of ends belonging to a superheater element, as they appear when connected with their steam collector chambers by my improved connecting means; Fig. 2 is a section taken along the. line 2-2 of Fig.

7 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view, taken from above,

of the upper split ring in its holding ring;- and Fig. 4 is a similar view of the lower split ring.

chambers for saturated and superheated steam, while 3 and 4 represent a pan of ends belonging to a superheater element and connected with said chambers. Each superheater element end is provided with an expanded head ,5 having spherically formed outer ends 6 seated in similarly shaped recesses formed in the headers. The inner ends 7 of each head 5 are similarly sgllilerically formed and rest upon correspon 1y shaped recesses in a split ring 8. Ring 8 as its lower end turned on a reduced diameter so as to provide a shoulder and is held within an outer holding ring 9, the inside of which is provided with a surface complementary to the outer surface of the split ring. The bottom of ring 9 and of split 8 are flush with one another and the sum est inner diameter of ring 9 is just large enough to enable this ring to be slipped over the In the'drawings, 1 and 2 represent, respec- V tively, parts of steam collector or header 1:: Mann 11031113, or Yomns, NEW-roan, assrcnoa T0 Loconzo'rrvn a 1 run comramr, or new roux, N. 2., a oonronnrron or DELAWARE.

TEE ELEMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr, 115 1919,

Application filed March 6, 1916. .Serial No. 82,388.

shoulder 11 and in this recessed portion is seated a lower split ring 12. The opening in this lower ring is tapered outwardly and downwardly so that, at its top, it approaches very closely to the outer wall of the element end, while at the bottom the opening is sub stantially the same as the smaller bore 10' of the bar 10. The upper surfaces of bar 10 and split ring 12 are flush with one another. The connecting bar 10 with its split rings 12 may be termed a yoke.

The connecting bar 10 is provided with a central opening 13 through which passes a bolt 14 passed through a suitable opening between the header chambers and having a head 15 engaging the top ofthe header. A;

spherically faced washer 16,-passed upon the bolt and engaging a similarly shaped recess in the bottom of the connector bar, is held in position by a pair of i check nuts 17.

When these nuts are suitably tightened, the element ends will be tightly connected to the header chambers and steam or water leaks will be impossible.

If it is desired to disconnect the superheater element from the headers it is merely necessary to remove the nuts 17 and washer 16,and to then lower the connecting bar 10.

If the connecting-bar should break or be found defective, or if for any reason it should be necessary to remove the bar from the element ends, it is merely necessa to slip the bar down the ends 3 and 4: s ciently to the parts of the split ring & from the outer holding ring 8; the ring'8 can then he slipped over the head 5. In the same way the lower split ring 12 may then be removed, after which the element ends may be passed through the opening of the connecting bar, I v

Owing to the .fact that the outer ring 9 and splitring 8 rest upon a smooth surface, with respect to which they are movable,'it

follows that an exact correspondence of distance between centers of the header openings and between centers of the openings through the connecting bar issiot necessary. Should one of these dimensions be greater than the other the holding 'ringi9, with the upper split ring 8, will slide over the upper surfaces of the connecting bar in the required direction, thus enablin the pipe or element ends to remain para el without strain on either of them, on the headers or on the connecting bar. i

Instead of joining a pair of ends belonging to a single element to appro riate difierent header branches, I may, 0 course, use my im roved means to join a pair of ends belonging to diflerent elements to their header branches which branches may be both for saturated, both for superheated, or one for. saturated and one for superheated steam. I

Having described my invention, I claim: 1. In combination with a pair of super heater pipes having ends formed as ex panded heads, a connecting bar having end openings which inclose said pipes, a holder ring adapted to slip over each head and to rest movably upon the connecting bar, and a split ring1 removably held Within each holder ring an closely embracing the pipe, the split rings being adapted to be pressed against the heads by the connecting bar.

2. In combination with a pair of super-- heater pipes having ends formed as expended heads, a yoke having surface and end openings WhlCh closely surround said pipes at said surface, said open-' lngs being 'enlargeable to emit them to pass over the expanded hea s, a holder ring adapted to slip over each head and to rest upon the yoke, and a split ring removably held within each holder ring and closely embracing the pipe, the split rings being adapted to be pressed against the heads by the yoke.

3. In combination with collector chambers having a pair of openings, a pair of superheater pipes having expanded heads fitted to said openings, at connectin bar havin end openings inclosing sai pipes an adapted to pass over said heads, a split ring removably held in each opening the top of said ring being flush with the top of the bar and closely surrounding the pipe, holder rings adapted to pass over said heads, a split ring removably held in each holder ring and closely embracing the pipe, the bottom surfaces of holder ring and split ring being flush with one another, and means for pressing said bar toward the collector chambers so as to force the split rin s held by the holder rings against the un er sides of the heads and the heads into the opening of the collector chambers.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

. NEAL TRIMBLE MoKEE. Witnesses:

O. V. THEILE, CHAs. H. WINKLER, Jr. 

